Main Entry: as·par·a·gus

Pronunciation: \ə-ˈsper-ə-gəs, -ˈspa-rə-\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural as·par·a·gus

Etymology: New Latin, genus name, from Latin, asparagus plant, from Greek asparagos; perhaps akin to Greek spargan to swell

Date: 1545

: any of a genus (Asparagus) of Old World perennial plants of the lily family having much-branched stems, minute scalelike leaves, and narrow usually filiform branchlets that function as leaves; especially : one (A. officinalis) widely cultivated for its edible young shoots

[asparagus illustration]